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Road Management Act 2004
Sch 5Road property provisions, powers and duties
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Schedule 5—Road property provisions, powers and duties
1 Vesting of roads and public highways
(1) Subject to this clause, the Crown has absolute property in—
(a) the land over which there is a freeway or arterial road (whether the freeway or arterial road is constructed at the level of the surface of the land or not); and
(b) all land reserved or proclaimed as a road under the **Crown Land (Reserves) Act 1978**, the **Land Act 1958**, the **Forests Act 1958** or the **National Parks Act 1975**—
whether before or after the commencement of this Schedule.
(2) The declaration of a freeway or arterial road under section 14 as a freeway or arterial road may provide that the declaration has effect in respect of a specified part of the land over which there is a freeway or arterial road of vesting in the Crown absolute property only in a specified stratum.
(3) Subclause (1) is subject to any lease or licence granted under—
(a) this Act; or
Sch. 5 cl. 1(3)(b) amended by No. 9/2020 s. 390(Sch. 1 item 87.3).
(b) the **Local Government Act 1989** or the **Local Government Act 2020**; or
(c) the **Land Act 1958**; or
(d) clause 13(3) of Schedule 5 of the **Transport Act 1983** as in force before the commencement of this Schedule.
(4) Subject to subclause (6), a road vests in fee simple in the municipal council of the municipal district in which it is located upon becoming a road.
(5) The public highway vests in the municipal council free of all mortgages, charges, leases and sub-leases.
(6) Subclause (4) does not apply to—
(a) a freeway or an arterial road;
Sch. 5 cl. 1(6)(b) amended by No. 49/2019 s. 183(Sch. 3 item 45(a)).
(b) a road that becomes a road if it is agreed between the municipal council and the Head, Transport for Victoria that the road should vest in the Head, Transport for Victoria;
(c) roads on Crown land;
(d) roads vested in a Minister or in any public authority (other than a municipal council).
2 Nature of ownership of road
(1) Clause 1 does not have effect to—
(a) impose any duty on the Crown, a municipal council or a public statutory authority as owner of the land in a road that it would not have if it were not the owner of the land but were only the road authority;
(b) allow adverse possession or easements by long user to be acquired over the road;
(c) authorise the disposition of the fee simple or any estate or interest in the land except as authorised by clause 9;
(d) make a road subject to the compulsory acquisition powers under the **Land Acquisition and Compensation Act 1986**.
(2) Subject to clause 1 and subclause (1), for the purposes of the management of a road, a road authority has the powers that a freehold owner in possession of the land would have.
3 Boundary of road if no boundary fixed
(1) If the boundary of a road has not been fixed, the boundary is deemed to be—
Sch. 5 cl. 3(1)(a) amended by No. 41/2020 s. 13(4).
(a) if the road adjoins unalienated Crown land, one metre from the edge of the roadway or any road‑related infrastructure; or
(b) if the road adjoins freehold land, the boundary of the freehold land; or
(c) subject to subclause (3), if the road adjoins Crown land held under a lease or a licence, the boundary of the Crown land.
(2) For the purposes of subclause (1)(a) the edge of the roadway is the edge of the shoulder.
(3) Subclause (1)(c) does not apply if the Crown land is held—
(a) under a licence of a kind to which section 138A(5) of the **Land Act 1958** applies; or
(b) under a lease or licence granted under clause 9; or
(c) under a lease or licence deemed to have been granted under clause 9.
Sch. 5 cl. 4 amended by No. 28/2009 s. 60.
4 Obligations in relation to fencing
Despite any Act or rule of law to the contrary, neither the Crown nor a road authority is required to fence or contribute to the fencing of any portion of a road.
5 Power of State road authority to use road for other functions
Subject to clause 16 of Schedule 7, a State road authority may use a road in the performance of its other functions if the use does not unreasonably interfere with the primary purpose of the road.
6 Right to support
A road authority has in respect of a road for which it is responsible a right of physical support from land adjacent to the road.
7 Powers may be exercised in relation to a stratum
A State road authority may exercise any power conferred on a State road authority under this Act in respect of a specified stratum only.
8 Power to use public land with consent
(1) Subject to this clause, a State road authority may for the purpose of the construction or maintenance of a road exercise any power conferred on a State road authority under this Act in respect of unreserved Crown land or land vested in a public authority.
(2) Before exercising any power under subclause (1), the State road authority must obtain consent in writing—
(a) in the case of unreserved Crown land, fromthe Minister administering the **Land Act 1958**;
(b) in the case of land vested in a public authority, the public authority or the Minister administering the Act under which the public authority is constituted.
9 Power to grant lease or licence
Sch. 5 cl. 9(1) amended by No. 49/2019 s. 183(Sch. 3 item 45(b)(i)).
(1) Subject to subclause (2), the Head, Transport for Victoria may grant a lease or licence for a period not exceeding 40 years of any part of a road reserve of a road administered by the Head, Transport for Victoria if the Head, Transport for Victoria is satisfied that the lease or licence will not significantly affect the primary use of the road.
(2) Subclause (1) does not apply to a road on land administered under the **Forests Act 1958**, the **National Parks Act 1975** or the **Crown Land (Reserves) Act 1978**.
Sch. 5 cl. 9(3) amended by No. 49/2019 s. 183(Sch. 3 item 45(b)(ii)).
(3) The Head, Transport for Victoria may enter into a commercial agreement with any person in relation to a lease or licence granted under this clause.
Sch. 5 cl. 9(4) amended by No. 49/2019 s. 183(Sch. 3 item 45(b)(ii)).
(4) The Head, Transport for Victoria must give notice to the Minister administering the **Land Act 1958** of any lease or licence granted under this clause.
Sch. 5 cl. 9(5) amended by No. 17/2009 s. 13(3)(d).
(5) The Minister may, with the agreement of the administering Ministers, determine policies for the granting of leases and licences under this clause.
(6) The Minister must cause a copy of any policy determined under subclause (5) to be published in the Government Gazette.
Sch. 5 cl. 9(7) amended by No. 49/2019 s. 183(Sch. 3 item 45(b)(ii)).
(7) The Head, Transport for Victoria must comply with any policy determined under subclause (5).
(8) Any policies made under clause 13(6) of Schedule 5 of the **Transport Act 1983** which are in force immediately before the commencement of this clause have effect as if made under this clause.
(9) Nothing in subclause (1) prevents the grant of a lease or licence under the **Land Act 1958** of land in a road which is not subject to a lease or licence granted under subclause (1).
Sch. 5 cl. 9(10) amended by No. 17/2009 s. 13(3)(e).
(10) In this clause ***administering*** ***Ministers*** means theMinister or Ministers administering the **Land Act 1958**, the **Forests Act 1958**, the **National Parks Act 1975** and the **Crown Land (Reserves) Act 1978**.
10 Infrastructure not part of land
(1) Infrastructure on, in, under or over any road reserve—
(a) is not part of the land or road reserve on, in, under or over which it is located; and
(b) is personal property of the relevant road authority or infrastructure manager.
Examples of infrastructure are included in the definitions of ***non-road infrastructure***, ***road infrastructure*** and ***road‑related infrastructure*** in section 3(1).
(2) This clause has effect despite any provision in this Act or any other Act or law relating to the vesting of roads.
11 Acquisition of land
(1) A State road authority may, with the approval of the Minister, purchase or compulsorily acquire any land which is or may be required by the State road authority for or in connection with the performance of its functions under this Act.
(2) The **Land Acquisition and Compensation Act 1986** applies to this Act and for that purpose—
(a) the **Road Management Act 2004** is the special Act; and
(b) a State road authority is the Authority; and
(c) ***land*** includes strata above or below the surface of land and easements and rights to use land or strata above or below the surface of the land; and
(d) section 74(1)(c) of the **Land Acquisition and Compensation Act 1986** has effect as if it also empowered a State road authority to take samples of plants; and
(e) section 75 of the **Land Acquisition and Compensation Act 1986** has effect as if it empowered a State road authority to enter any land and section 75(6) did not apply.
(3) In addition to its powers under section 75 of the **Land Acquisition and Compensation Act 1986**, a State road authority may for the purposes of this Act and subject to compliance with subsections (3), (4) and (5) of section 75 of the **Land Acquisition and Compensation Act 1986**—
(a) carry out investigations on and search for and obtain materials from any land; and
(b) use any temporarily occupied land for the purposes of—
(i) constructing a roadway on adjoining land; or
(ii) placing a temporary roadway or pathway on the land to be used while a road is impassable or for traffic management or safety purposes; and
(c) exercise on the land any of its powers under Schedule 6.
(4) In full or in part settlement of any compensation which a State road authority is liable to pay, the State road authority—
(a) may transfer a building from land owned by a person entitled to the compensation to other land owned either by that person or by the State road authority; or
(b) may transfer a building from land owned by the State road authority to other land owned either by the State road authority or by a person entitled to the compensation.
(5) Where by the exercise by a State road authority of any of the powers contained in this clause it is necessary to acquire any land compulsorily from the owner thereof—
(a) the State road authority may require that owner to take any land adjoining that land which is owned by the State road authority and is no longer required by the State road authority; and
(b) the value of that land is to be deducted from any sum to be paid by way of compensation to the owner of the land acquired compulsorily by the State road authority; and
(c) if that value cannot be agreed upon between the State road authority and the owner, it is to be settled in the same manner and at the same time as the compensation to be paid to that owner.
(6) Where any right to use land or any right in the nature of an easement or purporting to be an easement is acquired by a State road authority, that right is deemed for all purposes to be an easement notwithstanding that there is no land vested in the State road authority or its successors which is in fact benefited or capable of being benefited by that right.
(7) Clause 12 does not apply to an easement acquired compulsorily by a State road authority.
12 Powers of Registrar of Titles
(1) The Registrar of Titles may make any recordings that are necessary or expedient in the Register relating to any land affected by the exercise of a power of a State road authority under this Act.
(2) Without limiting subclause (1), the Registrar of Titles may require a person to produce any instrument or document other than a certificate of title.
Sch. 5 cl. 13 (Heading) amended by No. 49/2019 s. 183(Sch. 3 item 45(c)).
13 Head, Transport for Victoria may be appointed as committee of management
Sch. 5 cl. 13(1) amended by No. 49/2019 s. 183(Sch. 3 item 45(d)(i)).
(1) Despite anything in any Act, the Head, Transport for Victoria may be appointed to be a committee of management under the **Crown Land (Reserves) Act 1978** of any areas of Crown land which are adjacent to any arterial road and are reserved under section 4 of that Act.
Sch. 5 cl. 13(2) amended by No. 49/2019 s. 183(Sch. 3 item 45(d)).
(2) Despite anything in any Act, the Head, Transport for Victoria may out of the Roads Fund or another account or fund determined by the Treasurer or the Minister administering Part 7 of the **Financial Management Act 1994** expend money upon the improvement of an area of Crown land to which subclause (1) applies.
(3) Without limiting the generality of subclause (2), the improvement of an area of Crown land may include the provision of public toilets.
14 No private right of way or easement on road
A private right of way or easement cannot—
(a) develop or co-exist with a public right of way over the same land; or
(b) revive on the revocation of the declaration of a road or the discontinuance of a public road or the permanent closure of a road over that land.
Sch. 5 cl. 15 (Heading) amended by No. 49/2019 s. 183(Sch. 3 item 45(e)).
Sch. 5 cl 15 inserted by No. 110/2004 s. 21.
15 Head, Transport for Victoria may sell land if road or part of road discontinued
Sch. 5 cl. 15(1) amended by No. 49/2019 s. 183(Sch. 3 item 45(f)).
(1) If the Head, Transport for Victoria has discontinued the use of a road or part of a road, it may in accordance with this clause sell the land on which the road or part of the road was located, unless the land is administered under the **Alpine Resorts (Management) Act 1997**, the **Crown Land (Reserves) Act 1978**, the **National Parks Act 1975** or the **Forests Act 1958**.
(2) The provisions of sections 207B to 207E and Schedule 10 of the **Local Government Act 1989**, so far as they are applicable and with any necessary alterations, modifications and substitutions, extend and apply to the road or part of the road so discontinued.
Sch. 5A inserted by No. 81/2006 s. 65.
Schedule 5A—Specific provisions relating to the M1 Redevelopment Project
Part 1—Introductory
1 Definitions
In this Schedule—
Sch. 5A cl. 1 def. of
*Central Plan Office* amended by No. 70/2013 s. 4(Sch. 2 item 43.4), repealed by No. 53/2017 s. 90.
***City Link Minister*** means the Minister for the time being administering the **Melbourne City Link Act 1995**;
Sch. 5A cl. 1 def. of *Head, Transport for Victoria area* inserted by No. 49/2019 s. 183(Sch. 3 item 46(a)).
***Head, Transport for Victoria area*** means any part of the Redevelopment Project area other than the Link Upgrade area;
***Link Upgrade area*** has the meaning given by clause 6;
***Link Upgrade Project*** means any part of the M1 Redevelopment Project that relates to the Link Upgrade area;
***Crown land Minister*** means the Minister for the time being administering the **Crown Land (Reserves) Act 1978**;
***M1 Redevelopment Project*** means the project described in clause 2 or any part of that project;
***Native Title Act*** means the Native Title Act 1993 of the Commonwealth;
***Planning Minister*** means the Minister for the time being administering the **Planning and Environment Act 1987**;
***redevelopment acquisition*** has the meaning given by clause 10;
***Redevelopment Project area*** has the meaning given by clause 3;
Sch. 5A cl. 1 def. of *Road Minister* amended by No. 49/2019 s. 183(Sch. 3 item 46(b)).
***Road Minister*** means the Minister for the time being administering this Act.
Sch. 5A cl. 1 def. of *VicRoads area* repealed by No. 49/2019 s. 183(Sch. 3 item 46(c)).
Part 2—M1 Redevelopment Project and Redevelopment Project area
2 M1 Redevelopment Project
In this Schedule a reference to the M1 Redevelopment Project is a reference to the project for the widening of the M1 Corridor from Doveton to Yarraville.
3 Redevelopment Project area
(1) Subject to this clause, for the purposes of this Schedule, the Redevelopment Project area means the areas of land shown coloured pink and coloured blue on the plans numbered
LEGL./06-358 to LEGL./06-414 and lodged in the Central Plan Office or, if any of those areas of land is varied in accordance with this Part, those areas as so varied.
(2) For the purposes of this Schedule, the plans referred to in subclause (1) must be read as one plan in the manner shown in plans numbered LEGL./06-356 and LEGL./06-357.
(3) If consolidated plans for the Redevelopment Project area have been approved under clause 5, then for the purposes of this Schedule, the Redevelopment Project area means the areas of land shown as the Redevelopment Project area on the current approved consolidated plans or, if any of those areas of land is varied in accordance with this Part, those areas as so varied.
4 Changes to Redevelopment Project area
(1) The Governor in Council may, by Order published in the Government Gazette, vary the Redevelopment Project area by doing all or any of the following—
(a) increasing the Redevelopment Project area by adding land in the vicinity of the Redevelopment Project area; or
(b) decreasing the Redevelopment Project area; or
Sch. 5A cl. 4(1)(c) amended by No. 49/2019 s. 183(Sch. 3 item 46(d)).
(c) removing land from the Head, Transport for Victoria area and adding it to the Link Upgrade area; or
Sch. 5A cl. 4(1)(d) amended by No. 49/2019 s. 183(Sch. 3 item 46(d)).
(d) removing land from the Link Upgrade area and adding it to the Head, Transport for Victoria area.
(2) An Order under this clause takes effect on the day that it is published in the Government Gazette or, if a later day is specified in the Order, on that later day.
(3) An Order under this clause must be made on the recommendation of the Road Minister, the City Link Minister and the Planning Minister.
(4) The Ministers must not make a recommendation under subclause (3) unless they have received the appropriate plans, which have been—
(a) signed by the Surveyor-General; and
(b) lodged at the Central Plan Office.
(5) For the purposes of subclause (4), the appropriate plans may show the Redevelopment Project area as varied.
(6) An Order under this clause may refer to the plans referred to in clause 3 and subclause (4).
(7) An Order under this clause may designate land that is added to the Redevelopment Project area to be added to and form part of the Link Upgrade area.
(8) The Road Minister must cause a copy of each Order under this clause to be laid before each House of the Parliament within 6 sitting days of that House after the Order is made.
(9) Part 5 of the **Subordinate Legislation Act 1994** applies to an Order under this clause as if that Order were a statutory rule within the meaning of that Act.
5 Consolidated plans
(1) The Governor in Council may, by Order published in the Government Gazette, approve consolidated plans of the Redevelopment Project area incorporating all variations to the Redevelopment Project area made under clause 4 up to the date of the Order.
(2) An Order under this clause takes effect on the day that it is published in the Government Gazette or, if a later day is specified in the Order, on that later day.
(3) An Order under this clause must be made on the recommendation of the Road Minister.
(4) The Road Minister must not make a recommendation under subclause (3) unless the Road Minister has received the appropriate consolidated plans, which have been—
(a) signed by the Surveyor-General; and
(b) lodged at the Central Plan Office.
(5) An Order under this clause approving consolidated plans for the Redevelopment Project area revokes and replaces any existing approved consolidated plans for the Redevelopment Project area.
6 Link Upgrade area
(1) Subject to this clause, for the purposes of this Schedule, the Link Upgrade area means the areas that form part of the Redevelopment Project area that are shown coloured blue on the plans numbered LEGL./06-369 to LEGL./06-377 and lodged in the Central Plan Office, or if any of those areas of land is varied in accordance with this Part, those areas as so varied.
(2) For the purposes of this Schedule, the plans referred to in subclause (1) must be read as one plan.
(3) If land is added to or removed from the Link Upgrade area under clause 5, for the purposes of this Schedule, the Link Upgrade area means the areas referred to in subclause (1) as so varied.
(4) If consolidated plans for the Redevelopment Project area have been approved under clause 5, then for the purposes of this Act, the Link Upgrade area means the areas of land shown as the Link Upgrade area on the current approved consolidated plans or, if any of those areas of land is varied in accordance with this Part, those areas as so varied.